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Abstract

With this study we wanted to look at the prevalence of shoulder overuse injuries among Norwegian volleyball players in the top-, first- and second league. We also wanted to look for differences in the prevalence between different groups of players. The study was performed as a cross-sectional study where the participants answered a questionnaire. During the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 volleyball seasons we gathered 195 valid cases. These were analyzed in SPSS/PSPP. The result was a prevalence of shoulder overuse injuries of 36,4 % with mean duration of three years and absence from training/match of almost three months. 42,6 % of the players had experienced shoulder symptoms at an earlier point in their volleyball career. Only 39,0 % of the players have never had any shoulder pain. There were no differences between the sexes in the prevalence of shoulder overuse injuries, but significant more men than women had once experienced shoulder problems. No significant difference was detected between the leagues. Higher age and longer playing experience correlated with higher prevalence of shoulder pain. If the players had a job where their shoulders were exposed to stress they had 1,8 times higher risk of getting shoulder overuse injuries. The players with shoulder pain did also have more other overuse injuries. We conclude that shoulder overuse injuries are a common problem among Norwegian volleyball players as only 39,0 % of the players have never experienced any trouble with their shoulders and the injuries last for long.